Window latch



May 9, 1950 H, K, |EB 2,506,879

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vangle of approximately 90.

Patented May 9, `1950 UNITED STATES FATgENT QFFICE 2,506,879 WINDOW LATCH Harry K. Lieb, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 1,4, 1947, Serial No. 754,741

This invention relates to window latches and more 'particularly to a new and improved positioning and holding mechanism therefor.

Window latches of the more conventional types do not provide insurance against unlatching. As a consequence it is frequently easy to force or jar the latch into an open position from the outside of the window, Moreover, in certain installations it is desirable that the camming or latching member be positioned in any of a plurality of desired locking angles so that the window may be opened to a slight extent while still being eifectively locked against further opening movement. Therefore, some means other than the frictional association of the several members comprising the latch is desirable to insure the proper and rm locationing of the cam member relative to and Within the hook. Such locationing mechanism should not require separate manipulation for releasing or setting the same but, on the contrary, should be capable of ready adjustment by means of the conventional thumb piece heretofore associated with mechanism of similar character.

Prior art devices intended to accomplish a like purpose have for the most part been incapable of iine adjustment, many of them having positions of adjustment varying from each other by an Such prior art devices also present problems in manufacturing which increase their cost, shorten their effectivelife, or mostly require tedious and time-consuming assembly operations, often by hand. Nonetheless, the alternative to such positioning devices was a stiff, relatively unyielding cam member dependent for its frictional engagement with the base member on a tight abrading pivotal t therewith.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to overcome some of the above-noted objections by providing a new and improved friction-type joint between the cam and its base member affording a number of relatively closely spaced set positions easy and economical manufacture on a mass production basis.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch securing mechanism whose frictional positioning features may be eas- 'i1y established during the process of manufacturl"lng:

3 Claims. (Cl.- 292-241) 2 i. Yet another object of this invention is to pro.- vide a latching means for windows incorporating a reversible springy device normally hidden from view inthe assembled latch but adapted for cooperation with a plurality of complementary detents disposed in a predetermined manner upon the base or cam member. u

Another further object of this invention is to provide a latch of the character described substantially all portions of which may be formed .by simple stamping and die-forming operation and which may be operatively united duringthe aslsembly process by a single pivotal and connecting element. l .I

A further object of the invention is to provide `a new and improved latching means which is simple and easy to operate and effective and certain 1n use. y

This invention also has among its objects the improvement of analogous devices in the prior art intended to accomplish a generally similar purpose.

It may be noted that the prior art includes spring-controlled or spring-positioned latching members which are not readily jarred open but such locks have critical positions in which a -snght jar will cause the laten element to pivot'an'd snap back to an extreme limit of rotation.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a window and sash embodying a preferred form of the latching mechanism of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side sectional view on a line @+2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the latch.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line r 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

vliigure 6 is a detailed fragmentary sectional view on the line 6 6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a disc.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is another form of a disc.

Figure 10 is another further modified for vof disc .4 .5

Figure 11 is another still further modied form of disc.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a window latch selected by way of illustration is generally designated by the numeral ID and comprises a hook member II and a cam-carrying member I2 mounted respectively upon outer and inner window sashes I3 and I4. The hook may be mounted upon a base I5 integral therewith and the cam-carrying member on a base I6 pivotally secured; to the ca-m I 'I by a pin or rivet I8.

The base of the cam-carrying member is preferably formed with a hollow center I9 for clear'- ance and is ordinarily secured to the sash I.4by any suitable means, such as screws 2D. The top face 2| of the base member may be substantially dat and formed with a central` circular opening 22 which may accommodate the pin I8 and a circular shoulder 23 formed in the cam member' as will appear.

,A spring. washer 25- (Figure 7)- is non-rotatably keyed. to `the pin I8 or squeezed into firm. frictional engagement with the shoulder 23, with 0r. without keying.

If keyed the washer. may have an opening 26 formed with a flat sidevor sides 2 corresponding to optional flat sides 28 inthe pin.. 'I-he washer may he. crimped 29 around its circumference thereby presenting ridgesA 30, pairs of whichv are engageable with suitably spaced dimples 3l, 32,

.Stand 3.4 formed on the:underside4 350i' the base member for simultaneous engagement in corresponding. suitably spaceddepressions 35 formed by and alternating with the ridges 3D in the upper face 31 yof the washer.

The dimples 31.-34, as illustrated, are four in number and are selectively engageable with a number of said correspondingly crimped, parts of the surface 29V of the washer dependent.. generally speaking, upon the amount of= holding engagement desiredV between the cam. and the base member and the holding tension between such parts.v

lnasmuch as` it is desirable that the cam Il' uponrotation by the thumb piece 38 be retarded toa predeterminedextent with respect to thebase member by means of. the dimples and crimped Vwasher, it is necessary that the cam IT in. its

rotation carry with it the pin and washer. Accordingly, the cam has a lat bottom 39 formed as noted with la circular shoulder 23 intended to ride and rotate within the opening 22 and being optionally keyed for such purpose to the bottom offthe. cam by means of an opening IIIJ formed therein with flat sides 4I corresponding to. the cross-section of the pin. Y

In. order to 4insure adequate bearing surfaces 'and satisfactory tension between. the spring extent preventing relative rotation to these parts,

whether they be otherwise secured together or not.

The cam itself has an upper -cam face 46 normally engageable within the hook I'I andv which, upon forced rotation in a counter-clockwise direction, places an increased tension upwardly upon the hook firmly securing a window in closed posivcam are achievable.

tion. Lesser degrees of forced engagement of the cam with the hook locks the window less securely, but preferably, the relationship of the cam and hook should be such that the window even in the loosest relationship of these parts cannot be forced from the outside.

The limits of rotation of the cam are established at approximately 180 by its engagement at either notched edge 48 and 49 with a stop 50. The notched edge 43 thereby prevents rotation of the cam beyond its highest edge adjacent the thumb piece 38 and similarly, the notched edge 49 is engageable with said stop to prevent rotation beyond what is necessary to cause the open latch to clear the window sashes I3 and I4.

Although'` the pin I8 has heretofore been described as optionally keyed to the cam member II and the washer 25, such keying, as also noted, is not necessary. Instead the washer and bottom of the cam may be squeezed together at their adjacent faces by the pin or rivet I8 during the assembly process. In sucha oasethe depth of. the annular shoulder 23 relative to the raised annular bearing face 5I surrounding the opening 22 should be adjusted so that the washer may be pressed rmly against the bottom face 52 of the annular shoulder 23 and there held in firm frictional engagement suiliciently great to overcome the holding action of the crimped edge 29 with. the dimples 3I-34. Such non-keyed construction in which the pin I8 is round in cross-section is -more readily and economically manufactured because there is-then no necessity for adapting correspondingly keyed portions of the. cam, pin and washer to each other as is otherwise required. Such a non-keyed washer is shownfin Figure 9 where all parts are numberedy to.- cor.- respond to the form of Figures 1-8 except that the circular hole is there designated by the. numeral 100. In using this form of washer the pin I8 may be Cylindrical in cross-section fand the flat faces omitted.

The washer 25 may also be dished. or funnelshaped either to enhance its resilient qualities or to bring it in closer frictional contact with the underside of the annular shoulder 23.

It should be noted that the crimped edge 29 may be formed with any other desired irregularities than the ridges and grooves illustrated. Thus, they may be serrated, dimpled, perforated or otherwise shaped to iit against complementarily formed constructions on the adjacent base member and vice versa.

Optionally also, the spring washer may be disposed between the adjacent faces 39. and 5I. of the cam member and base member respectively, and these parts may either or both be designed to yieldably engage fthe spring washer bymeans of suitable detents or irregularities therein as heretofore discussed in connection with the cam member.

In the use and adjustment of a latch of the character herein contemplated, the same will be open when disposed in the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. But by turning the cam. at an angle of approximately thetip 53 of the cam will. underlie the tip 5I!V of the hook as shown in vFigure 3 to an extent permitting the window to open only slightly. g

In view of the proximity of the corresponding irregularities or crimps in the washer a relativelyv ne adjustment is possible so that varying degrees of latching eng-agement of the hook and Each angle of adjustment, although requiring a minimal amount of force to overcome, and while readily changed by manipulation of the cam through the thumb piece 38, is nevertheless sufliciently stiff to withstand any opening movement of force created by the forcible jambing of the hook against the cam edge 46 as is frequently attempted in unlatching the window from the outside.

A further modified form of washer 300 is i1- lustrated in Figure and comprises a generally rectangular shape with narrow ends 30! having a radius and with straight parallel sides 302. At its central opening 303 may be formed either a round, square, or irregular cross section. This form of washer may be formed in the same manner as the others or may have any number of indentations 304 which preferably face only one way and, of course, in such event the washer would not be reversible as in the forms of Figure 7 and 9 unless the indentations 304 were matched by corresponding indentations facing in the opposite direction. In this form of Washer a flexing action is achieved in the longitudinal axis thereof as from edge 30| to edge 30| and in order to achieve a suitable number of locking positions the base I6 may be formed with a plurality of indentations corresponding to desired locking positions of the indentations 304. Thus, for example, the washer may be formed with two indentations (Figure 10) or three indentations (Figure 11), these numbers being desirable as stabilizing the washer in its flexed locked position. It has also been found that approximately 24 indentations in the adjacent face of the base, arranged in a circle corresponding to the possible positions of the indentations 304, furnish a desired variety of locking positions.

It may be noted that in the rotation of a disc each projection, depression, detent, crimp, crimped surface, etc., tends to wear against the corresponding formation on the base, thereby increasing the wear on both the washer and the base. The provision of fewer detents upon the washer thereby minimizes the wear upon these elements as caused by successive operations of the latch. It is therefore best to keep either the number of detents in the washer or the base to a minimum.

The washer may be round, rectangular, or rectilinear in part, and rounded in part in any of its forms or modifications thereof.

The instant latch may be made of brass or other strong but deformable metal, or like material, inasmuch as it is contemplated that all of the parts of applicants latch may be readily stamped and formed in single operations, with the possible exceptions of the pin I8 which may be of conventional constructiomand the washer, which should be of springy steel or similar stuff. Thus, the single pin, during the assembly operation, may act to firmly unite all of the parts of the cam-carrying member I2. The hook member I5 itself may be of conventional construction.

The term crimped is intended to mean irregular, indented, dimpled, or the like, as well as crimped unless the contrary is expressly stated.

This invention features a window latch or the like susceptible of ready but jimmy-proof adjustability in a wide variety of latching positions, all of which are available with equal facility and may have substantially equal holding properties. The parts are designed for ease of manufacture and the washer in particular is designed for reversible assembly so that these parts may be fed to an operator or assembly machine through a hopper. The construction also permits the inclusion of as many points or degrees of secure frictional engagement of the operative parts as required by the simple provision upon adjacent faces of any desired number of holding irregularities. The washer may, of course, be round, square, oval, or any other desired shape, even rod-like.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

The invention having been herein described, what is claimed and sought to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A window sash lock adapted to lock double hung windows comprising a keeper, a cam latching means, said cam means being formed with a downwardly directed boss adapted to act as a bearing guide, a base member having downwardly turned peripheral flanges and being formed with a centrally disposed aperture adapted to rotatably receive said downwardly disposed boss, a friction disc having peripheral edges adapted to frictionally engage the under surface of said housing member and keyed in non-rotational engagement to said downwardly extending boss, said friction disc being formed with a plurality of radially disposed corrugations.

2. In a window sash lock having a keeper and a rotatable cam latch, rotatably disposed on a hollow ibase member, the element of novelty comprising: means for frictionally retaining the said cam member in a plurality of rotatable positions, said means comprising a friction disc keyed to said rotatable cam member and positioned within the hollow of said base member and adapted to frictionally engage the under surface thereof, said disc being formed with a plurality of radial corrugations. and a plurality of detents circumferentially disposed in said base member adapted to cooperate with said friction disc.

3. In a window sash lock having a keeper, a rotatable cam latch and a substantially hollow base member, a centrally disposed downwardly directed boss formed as an integral part of said rotatable cam and being formed with a noncircular aperture concentric therewith, a friction disc being formed with a non-circular hole concentric therethrough and with a plurality of radially disposed corrugations adjacent the periphery thereof adapted to underlie said hollow member and to secure said cam member to said hollow base member, and a plurality of detents circumferentially disposed about the axis of rotation of said cam 'and adapted to cooperate with the radial corrugations of said disc.

HARRY K. LIEB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 826,930 Gilbert July 24, 1906 900,079 Bittorf Oct. 6, 1908 1,537,649 McGlashan et al. May 12, 1925 1,687,174` Mountford et a1. Oct. 9, 1928 

